Sen. Mike Lee, one of only two senators to vote against confirmation of Gen. Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense, cited his belief that the 7-year hiatus between active military duty and civilian leadership of the Department of Defense should be maintained.
Yet he voted to approve Gen. James Mattis for the same position under comparable circumstances. Was it differences in the content of the character or the color of the skin of the two nominees that changed Sen. Lee’s votes?
Matthew Tyler, Salt Lake City
Submit a letter to the editor
sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.
Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.
You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.